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My name is Amy and I've been blogging on CDG since 2005. A mama of two living in Colorado, I'm passionate about attachment parenting, health and wellness, green living, essential oils, urban homesteading and unschooling/home schooling.

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Just me and my girl

I started out this week a little apprehensive because Jody would be out of town (at Siggraph in Boston) for the whole week and I would be taking on the single parent role. I had several things planned for Ava and I to do during the week, but I still worried about naps (since she hadn’t been napping on a regular basis for the past few weeks). I know she still needs a nap because she gets quite cranky and out of sorts if she doesn’t get one. And I know *I* still need her to nap because I get quite cranky and out of sorts if she doesn’t get one too! ;) Seriously though, I look forward to that two hours or so every day when I have some time to myself – to read, blog, work on decluttering the house (a project that I will blog about another day), make dinner, clean up the house, or take a nap if I need one. It’s valuable time that mommy needs to unwind. :)

I’m happy to say that my apprehensiveness was quite unfounded because Ava and I (although we definitely missed Jody) have had a great week together AND…she’s napped every day! :)

On Monday, we went grocery shopping and made banana muffins together. I used whole wheat flour this time instead of white flour and they were even more tasty.

On Tuesday, we went to a play group (open gym at Kangaroo Kingdom) in the morning. Then in the evening, I dropped Ava off with my friend’s husband Dax and son Creed (who’s 7 months older than Ava) and I got to go out to dinner with my friends. :) Dax took the kids for a ride in the Burley (bike trailer) up to a pond where they fed the fish and turtles and played and then, a couple hours later, brought them all back to the restaurant where we were still sitting outside on the patio gabbing. It was a pleasant surprise to see them pull up. Ava and Creed looked so cute just hanging out in the Burley together. Ava’s helmet (which was borrowed) kept falling over her eyes, so she was holding it up to peek out at us. My friend Brandy took pics and is going to send them to me, but I don’t have them yet. Anyway, I’m so thankful that Dax was able to watch the kids. I felt good about leaving Ava with someone I totally trust and was able to have a nice evening out. And Ava had so much fun with them. She keeps talking about feeding the turtles and, when I asked her about riding in the Burley, she said, “I told Creed – ‘this is fun.'” My little girl is growing up.

On Wednesday, we met friends at the Rec Center pool for swimming. Ava had a great time and I enjoyed soaking in the water for a while since my back was killing me the night before. I’m glad to see her getting more and more comfortable in the water since we’ve been swimming a few times this summer. I’d still like her to go to swimming classes (maybe this winter so she and Jody have something fun to do while I stay home w/ baby boy) so she can learn to stay afloat if she ever fell in and all of that. There have been too many stories on the news about little kids drowning in lakes, ponds, pools, etc. :( It definitely makes you worry about your own child’s safety. After all the swimming fun, we both took a long nap yesterday evening. It was very much needed.

Today we went for a walk (which just about did me in. Even though it wasn’t that far and wasn’t *that* hot, I needed to lie down for a bit after we got home – blah), did some playing in the yard, cleaned up the house a bit, did laundry, went to the grocery store, and I finished getting together about five bags of clothes, household items, and other things to donate to the Lupus Foundation tomorrow when they come to pick it up. It was funny because I’d been in the process of gathering things up to get rid of (i.e. donate) and trying to figure out where to drop them all off and with what charity when the LF called last week and asked if we had anything. So since their timing was right on, I said YES and they are getting a ton of stuff from us. :)

Jody gets home late tonight then has to go into work tomorrow so we won’t actually see him until tomorrow night. I will be glad to have my hubby home and I know Ava will be thrilled to see daddy. She’s talked to him every night on the phone and has told me she misses him (and his coworker Tommy, who’s also out there – hehe). She keeps saying “Daddy’s still at Boston?”

I feel like this week together with just Ava has been especially good for us, because in a few short months, our lives will change dramatically with the addition of another family member. Ava will no longer get mommy’s undivided attention whenever she wants it and I will miss that special time with my girl. So this week has made me really appreciate what a wonderful child she is and how much I love her. And now that I’m about in tears, I will wrap this entry up.

9 thoughts on “Just me and my girl”

What a nice post! Ava will love to go back and read all of these things you felt when she was little. It sounds like you had a wonderful bonding week, because your lives will change so much in a couple short months. She’ll be such a helpful big sis!

Aw, Amy. You reminded me of Ava’s grandmother at the end of that post… getting a little misty and overwhelmed with all that love. :)
I can’t wait to see all of you in Michigan. I am heading up to see the folks this weekend w/friends. We’ll try to keep the place nice for ya.
I’m sure Mom and Pop will have all sorts of fun stories to tell you from my visit with my posse this weekend. Should be an adventure.

Nelly – Thank you. :) I need to find a way to preserve all my random musings about her – maybe print them out, laminate them and put them into a journal. And I think you are right, she will be a helpful big sis. She’s great around my friends’ little babies.

Cster – Yeah, I definitely get a little misty when I think about how much I love that kiddo.
Hope you have fun w/ your friends up at the ‘rents’ this weekend. Don’t trash the place. We will need a place to sleep. ;oP

Amy – You are so right. It will be a wonderful change for our family and will bring so many more memories, but I will still miss that special time when it was just Ava. :)

Kleopatra – You always have such a wonderful way with words. Thank you so much. :)
It is definitely not always easy finding a good balance between her needs and mine, and mine have suffered in the past. I try maintain an awareness of the need for balance (in all aspects of our lives) so that we can all be happy. It’s definitely an on-going thing to strive for. ;)

What a sweet, sweet girl. You are so in love, I can tell. And to think you’ll be adding another ray of sunshine to your life…
Enjoy your last months with Ava alone. It will be a bittersweet time, a time to watch her blossom like a lotus, into a big sister…
I think it will be grand for her to experience her baby brother’s peaceful homebirth. :-)
Love,
Leigh